Beet loading apparatus



Sept. 5, 1944. J. 1. ROBERSON BEET LOADING APPARATUS Filed May 31, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

P 1944- J. l. ROBERSON 2,057,549

BEET LOADING APPARATUS Filed May 31,1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT OR.

' BY cfOfi/YZFB ensozz ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 5, 1944 uurrso STATES PATENTIOFFICE 2,357,549 BEET LOADING APPARATUS John I. Roberson, Brawley, Calif.

Application May 31, 1941, Serial No. 396,051

- 1 Claim. (or. 198233) My invention relates to a beet loading apparatus, more particularly to an apparatus in which an elongated conveyor mechanism is supported on wheels and arranged to travel sideways in straddling relation with and longitudinally of rows of beets for conveying the beets from several rows at a time to a truck or the like and the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a beet loading apparatus of this class in which a pair of caster wheels are positioned near eachend thereof for common use in transporting my beet loading apparatus in either sideways or longitudinal directional movement;

Second, to provide a beet loading apparatus of this class in which beets being conveyed thereon are'dropped from a horizontal conveyor to an elevating conveyor whereby soil is shaken from said beets when they are so dropped;

Third, to provide a beet loading apparatus of this class which is provided with pivotally mounted side boards each arranged to form a foldable backstop for beets being deposited on the horizontal conveyor of my beet loading apparatus; Fourth, to provide a beet loading apparatus of this class which is so arranged and operated that several beet toppers may follow said apparatus andarrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon which form a part of this application in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of my beet loading apparatus showing portions broken away and in section to facilitate the illustration; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of my beet loading apparatus showing the opposite side thereof from that as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end View of my beet loading apparatus taken from the line 33 of Fig, 1 showing by dash lines varying positions of parts and portions; Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary thereon and showing by arrows a direction in which my beet loading apparatus travels over the beet; field and also showing a tractor and truck in operative relation with my beet loading apparatus.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawings.

The frame I, frame supporting caster wheels 2, 3, 4 and 5, horizontal conveyor chain 6, chain supporting rollers I and 8, horizontal conveyor chain sprockets 9 and In, conveyor chain sprocket shafts II and I2, elevator conveyor chain I3, elevator chain sprockets I4 and I5, elevator sprocket shafts I6 and I1, elevator conveyor chain roller I8, horizontal conveyor side boards I9 and 20, operating motor 2I, operating sprockets 22, 23, 24 and 25, sprocket operating chains 26 and 21, hitch member 28 and the transport wheels 29 constitute the principal parts and portions of my beet loading apparatus.

The frame I is constructed of conventional angle iron, or other suitable material and is provided with a horizontal portion Ia and an inclined portion Ib. These frame portions Ia and 'lb are made of parallel members interconnected by truss members I0 and Id which are positioned in angular relation with the parallel portions of the frame portions Ia and lb, as shown best in Figs, 1 and 2 of the drawings. The substantially horizontal frame portion la is supported at its one end by the caster wheels 4 and 5, as shown best in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings.

The caster wheels 4 and 5, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, are substantially conventional revolubly mounted wheels arranged to shift on a vertical axis for reversible movement of the horizontal frame portions Ia, as shown by dash lines in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The caster wheels 2 and 3 are preferably double wheels and are positioned near the opposite end of the frame portion Ia from the caster wheels 4 and 5 and are arranged to support the opposite end of my beet loading apparatus. The caster wheels 2 and 3 are preferably larger than the caster wheels 4 and 5, as' shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings and these caster wheels 2 and 3 operate in substantially the same manner as the caster wheels 4 The horizontal frame portion la is supported in connection with the caster wheels 4 and 5 by means of the cross member le. The horizontal frame portion la is also supported in connection with the caster Wheels 2 and 3 by means of the angular brace members 3a and the brace members 3b which extend outwardly from the frame portion la to the vertical axles 3c of the caster wheels 2 and 3 in substantially horizontal relation, as shown best in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Arranged in substantially parallel relation with the frame portion Ia and extending from the caster wheels 4 and 5 toward the caster wheels 2 and 3 is the horizontal conveyor chain 6 which is an endless chain similar to the conventional chains used on potato diggers, or the like. This horizontal conveyor chain 6 is positioned over the sprockets l near the caster wheels 4 and and is positioned over the sprockets 9 near the connection of the inclined frame portion lb with the frame portion la, as shown best in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The sprockets l0 are secured on the shaft I2 and the sprockets 9 are secured on the shafts l I, all as shown best in Fig, 4 of the drawings.

Positioned on the outer end of the shaft II is the operating sprocket 25 on which is positioned the sprocket operating chain 21. This sprocket operating chain 21 engages a sprocket 24 mounted on a shaft 24a in connection with the sprocket 23 driVen by the chain 26 over the sprocket 22 which is operated by the operating motor 2|, all as'shOWn best in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Secured on the opposite end of the shaft ll from the sprocket 25 is a sprocket Ila. This sprocket Ila is engaged by a chain llb, which chain llb is arranged to drive a sprocket Ilia on the shaft l6, all as shown best in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

As shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the el Vator conveyor chain roller I8 i positioned slightly below the axis of the shaft ll intermediate the shaft H and the shaft Hi. This roller I8 is arranged to support the elevator conveyor chain l3 in certain relation with the sprockets l5 mounted on the shaft IS. The sprocket l5 are arranged to drive the elevator conveyor chain l3 which is mounted in substantially parallel relation with the inclined frame portion lb, as shown best in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings.

It will be here noted that the chain supporting rollers 8 are arranged to support the elevator conveyor chain l3 intermediate the roller l8 and the sprocket l 4, as shown best in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings. Th horizontal conveyor chain 6 is supported on rollers I which are arranged in connected relation with the horizontal frame portion la, as shown best in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The elevator conveyor chain I3 is positioned over the sprockets M on the shaft l! at the upwardly extending end portion If of the inclined frame lb. In connection with this inclined frame portion lb are side boards lg which are positioned at opposite sides of the elevator conveyor chain l3, as shown best in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Connected with the horizontal frame portion la at opposite sides of the horizontal conveyor chain 6 are the side boards l9 and 20. These side boards l9 and 20 are pivotally mounted on hinges l9a and are arranged to be pivotally shifted as indicated by dash lines in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and shown by solid lines in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

The hitch member 28 is arranged to be connected with brackets lh secured to opposite sides of the frame portion la, as shown best in Fig. 1 of the drawings. This hitch member 28 i connected with a tractor for use in pulling my beet loading apparatus sideways, as shown in Fig. 5 5 of the drawings. The transport wheel 29 are removably connected to the horizontal frame portion la and are for use only in the transportation of my beet loading apparatus from one field to another or from one place to another. These transport wheels 29 are arranged to support the middle of my beet loading apparatus when moving the same longitudinally along uneven roads or over small bridges or the like.

When using my beet loading apparatus and operating the same for loading beets, as indicated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the transport wheels 29 are disconnected and removed from the frame portions la.

The operation of my beet loading apparatus 90 is substantially as follows:

As shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the rows of beets A are in transverse relation with my beet loading apparatus which is being pulled sideways by a tractor B. The truck C travels beneath the upper end of the inclined frame portion lb for receiving beets from the conveyor chain l3. It will be noted that the caster wheels 4 and 5 are positioned intermediate the rows A of the beets and that the truck C passes over 30 harvested ground while receiving beets from the elevator conveyor chain l3. The side board I9 is shown folded downwardly as indicated by dash lines in Fig. 3 of the drawings and the side board 20 remains in upright position forming a back stop for the beets as they are deposited on the horizontal conveyor chain 6, whereupon they are carried toward the elevator conveyor chain l3 and are deposited thereon.

When my beet loading apparatus has passed to the end of the field in the direction as indicated by arrows in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the hitch member 28 is released from my beet loadfling apparatus and my beet loading apparatus is shifted longitudinally until the desired num- 5 ber of rows A are straddledby the horizontal frame portion la, then the tractor B is hitched to the opposite side of my beet loading appae ratus from that as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The side board 20 is then folded downwardly and the side board I9 is positioned in upright relation so that the beet toppe are permitted to follow the horizontal frame portion la of my beet loading apparatus and deposit beets on the horizontal conveyor chain 6 while the side board l9 forms a back stop therefor. The truck C moves along with my beet loading apparatus underneath the upwardly extending end If of the inclined frame portion lb.

It will be here noted that the caster wheels 2, 3, 4 and 5 are so arranged that my beet loading apparatus may be moved in any direction thereon whereby said caster wheels shift in conforming relation with the direction of movement taken by my beet loading apparatus.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, I do not Wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claim. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

on said frame, on opposite sides of said horizontal conveyor and hitch means extending longitudinally some distance on opposite sides of said fram for use in towing said beet loading apparatus from either side whereby said beet loading apparatus may be drawn sideways in 0pposed directions or endwise in opposed directions.

J OI-DI I. ROBERSON. 

